The invention pertains to a jaw support device for veterinary applications. In particular, it pertains to a jaw support device for use on small mammals such as guinea pigs, chinchillas and rabbits.
Guinea pigs, chinchillas, rabbits and other small mammals are commonly kept as pets. As these animals age, their jaw muscles often weaken. This causes the jaw to become slack and the animal open-mouthed. One result of this condition is the need for veterinary tooth grinding in such animals. Guinea pigs and many other small mammals spend a great deal of their waking hours chewing and, in a healthy animal in which the jaw muscles hold the mouth closed, the lower teeth grind against the upper teeth during such chewing, preventing the animal""s teeth, which grow continuously, from becoming elongated. However, in a slack-jawed animal, such grinding is minimal and the animal""s teeth require frequent grinding by a veterinarian to maintain them at a proper length.
It is an object of the invention to provide a device to support the jaw of guinea pigs and similar animals in which the jaw muscles have weakened.
It is a further object to provide such a support device that enables the animal to strengthen its jaw muscles.
In one broad aspect, the invention provides an animal jaw support device comprising an elongate body of elastic material adapted to fit around the head and jaw of a guinea pig or other small mammal. The elongate body has forward and rearward edges and longitudinal ends. Attachment straps at the longitudinal ends are adapted to attach together to hold the support device snugly around the head and jaws of the animal.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying drawings.